Individual sealed containers in various sizes, shapes and forms have become increasingly popular in packaging numerous products, particularly of the flowable type.
Special types of packaging equipment have been developed that are capable of taking containers from a stack and transferring them to a conveyor which moves the containers along a predetermined path. The containers are then filled at a filling station and subsequently covers are applied to the respective containers at a cover applying station.
Heretofore, most of the machinery that has been developed for performing the above functions has been extremely complex and had to be operated on an intermittent basis, which substantially restricted the output of the equipment.
While some machines have been proposed which are capable of operating a continuous basis in filling and covering containers, the arrangement of the various stations still restricts the speed at which the machinery can be operated.